


And I know I'm memory bound

by chatnoiristhebest5



Series: Umbrella Siblings Being Good Siblings™ [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Five stays because he's in a teenagers body and can't buy a place, Gen, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus and Five open up about their traumas, Klaus stays because he doesn't have a place to stay in, Nightmares, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Post-Canon, Siblings Supporting Siblings, au where everything is fine after 1963, can I give these two hugs?, there is no sparrow academy and no more drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:00:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29385948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatnoiristhebest5/pseuds/chatnoiristhebest5
Summary: Five sat up in his room, breathing ragged and uneven, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He clutched at the covers of his bed so tightly his knuckles were white, even in the dim lighting that came into his room from the alleyway. He wiped at his eyes hurriedly as he took a few practiced deep breaths. It was nights like those that he wished Dolores was still with him.Back when he had been stuck in a post-apocalyptic future, nightmares filled with his siblings' lifeless faces would plague him. They'd scream at him for not saving him, yell at him for leaving them, and other times, he'd just relive the moment he found them. When that would happen, Dolores would be by his side. She didn't mind comforting him. She was perfectly fine with him holding her tightly to him until he calmed down.But now he was alone.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Umbrella Siblings Being Good Siblings™ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2187297
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68





	And I know I'm memory bound

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like Klaus and Five would be able to understand the horrible nightmares they both definitely would get. Both of them most likely have PTSD, and I just want them to help each other!! 
> 
> The title is from the song "Memory Bound" by Don McGinnis.

_He was at the dining table at breakfast, staring at his father with hardened eyes, his hands balled up into fists. Reginald Hargreeves remained mostly calm, steely eyes disapproving with his lips twitching toward a slight frown. Five had never seen him with an expression any different. It was as though disappointment and disapproval were the only emotions the man could feel._

_Five felt his teenage siblings' gazes on him, felt the tension in the room. He glanced at Vanya how was pleading with her eyes to just let it go. Pleading at him to drop the topic of time travel for the time being like he always did and move on. But he wouldn't let it go._

**(He should've.)**

_Five blinked and the table was gone, along with his siblings and his father. He was sitting on top of brick and wood debris, the once illustrious Umbrella Academy nothing but rubble. He glanced at the orange and gray sky before scrambling to his feet, panic rising in his chest._

_He ran, searching for someone,_ anyone _, hoping that he wasn't alone. He screamed the names of his siblings, waiting for someone to yell at him to shut up. Waiting for someone to appear, to rise from the ashes._

**(He knew no one would.)**

_He stopped when he found a group of adults hurried beneath bricks. Dread filled his veins. He blinked rapidly to get the tears out his eyes when he saw their tattoos. But it couldn't be. It didn't make sense._

**(He knew where he was. He'd seen it all before.)**

_Five yelled for help._

**(He knew it was pointless.)**

_He shook his now-adult siblings to wake up._

**(He knew it wouldn't help.)**

_He shut his eyes as tight as he could, as though it would make everyone go away. When he opened them again, he was--_

* * *

Five sat up in his room, breathing ragged and uneven, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. He clutched at the covers of his bed so tightly his knuckles were white, even in the dim lighting that came into his room from the alleyway. He wiped at his eyes hurriedly as he took a few practiced deep breaths. It was nights like those that he wished Dolores was still with him.

Back when he had been stuck in a post-apocalyptic future, nightmares filled with his siblings' lifeless faces would plague him. They'd scream at him for not saving him, yell at him for leaving them, and other times, he'd just relive the moment he found them. When that would happen, Dolores would be by his side. She didn't mind comforting him. She was perfectly fine with him holding her tightly to him until he calmed down.

But now he was alone.

Glancing at his alarm clock on his nightstand, he saw it was four o'clock in the morning. Well, at least he'd slept for longer than the usual three to four hours. Five stood, padding down to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He knew it was no use trying to go back to sleep. 

Upon arriving at the kitchen, he was surprised to find Klaus sitting at a chair with a mug in his hands. The smell of hot chocolate filled the air, and Five found an opened pack of mini marshmallows beside the coffee pot he'd bought. Once he'd gotten himself a cup of coffee, he sat across from Klaus, waiting for him to say something.

When Klaus remained unusually silent, Five decided to break the ice himself. "So, how's the hot chocolate?" He hoped his question sounded light hearted.

"Yeah, you knows it's good. I'm not very good making it though, and I think I used spoiled milk," Klaus replied. After a pause, Klaus continued, "Why are you up?"

Five took a sip of his coffee, buying himself time to collect himself and deflect the question calmly. "I could ask you the same thing." 

"I was partying! Yeah, 'cause, you know, I'm a crazy party animal. Yep, that's what I am," Klaus said unconvincingly with what seemed like a nervous laugh. When Five raised his eyebrow, Klaus sighed, "Alright, alright, you win, I'll tell you. I had a bit of nightmare, so I decided to have a nice cup of hot chocolate."

Five nodded slowly. He knew Klaus had been plagued by nightmares of the hours he spent locked up by Reginald Hargreeves in a room filled with ghosts. After being sober for a while, Klaus probably got the nightmares much more frequently now. 

Reluctantly, Five decided he should probably ask a little more. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Klaus's eyes widened, "You would be ok with listening?"

Five winced, mentally cursing himself. He always acted like he didn't care about his siblings, so it was no wonder Klaus was so surprised. He would really have to work on that now that he had the time. "Yeah, I'll listen."

Klaus took a sip of his hot chocolate, a faraway look in his eyes. "Remember that tattoo everyone was curious about?" Five nodded. He remembered finding it on Klaus after recognizing he had the symptoms of time travel. Klaus looked down at his mug, "It was from Vietnam. That's where I ended up when I got that suitcase. And that's what my nightmare was about."

Five paled. When Klaus had told him about the briefcase and how he'd destroyed it, Five had been so wrapped up in the fact that he lost a valuable resource, that he'd gotten angry at Klaus and stormed off. If he'd taken the time to listen to Klaus then, he would've understood why he'd destroyed it. 

"God, Klaus, that's horrible." He didn't really know what else to say. "Are you alright?"

Klaus leaned back in his chair, "Eh, I'm ok. I've been worse." After a pause, he asked, "But, you didn't tell me, why are you up?" Five knew Klaus was trying to change the subject, but he decided to play along. Maybe Klaus didn't get the hint from earlier, when Five had deflected the question he's just repeated.

Or maybe he somehow knew Five wanted to finally get it off his chest. Without Dolores to keep him company, he didn't have anyone to talk to about his nightmares, let alone someone who could potentially understand.

After taking a few more sips of coffee, Five spoke. "I also had a nightmare. It was about the apocalypse. Um, the first one. When I got stuck."

Klaus frowned, "Oh. Are you ok?"

Five shrugged, "Yeah, it's nothing I'm not used to." It was true, he had grown used to the nightmares. That didn't mean he was fine, however.

But, mercifully, Klaus let the subject drop. He got up and grabbed the bag of mini marshmallows on the counter, and sat down with them, adding more to his hot chocolate. "Would you like some mini marshmallows to put in your coffee?"

Five's lips lifted in a slight smile, "Sure." After taking a few and plopping them into his coffee, Five quietly said, "Thank you, Klaus. For listening."

The man in front of him smiled despite having a mouth full of mini marshmallows.


End file.
